Flourless and Layered Cakes

Gentle heat: chocolate scorches easily and turns dull and bitter. Melt it in a heatproof bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time. Take it off the heat when it is mostly melted and stir until smooth. Milk and white chocolate burn faster than dark, so use lower heat for them.

Whisking whites: the bowl and whisk must be spotlessly clean and dry, with no trace of yolk or grease. Whisk to soft peaks (the tips flop over), not stiff, and fold in thirds. The whites are baked fully, so there is no raw egg in the finished cake.

Flourless cakes fall: they rise in the oven and sink as they cool. That is normal, and gives the dense, fudgy centre. Cool them completely in the tin before turning out.

Hot oven: use oven gloves, open the door away from your face, and put the tin on a heatproof surface. Don't leave the oven unattended, because chocolate bakes go from perfect to dry quickly, and every oven is a little different, so check early.

Keeping: store baked treats in an airtight tin at room temperature for about 3 to 4 days (general guidance), or freeze them wrapped for up to about a month. Anything with a cream cheese or cream filling belongs in the fridge.

Gluten-free: flourless cakes are naturally free of wheat flour, but check the labels of chocolate and cocoa, and don't say a cake is gluten-free unless you have checked everything, especially for someone with coeliac disease.

Nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and other nuts (and spreads made from them) are serious allergens, and some chocolate is made in factories that handle nuts. Never serve them to a guest without asking, and make a nut-free swap when anyone has an allergy.

Nut-free swap: replace the ground almonds with 60 g of plain flour and 20 g of cocoa. The torte will be slightly lighter and no longer wheat-free.

Raw batter: don't eat raw brownie, cake or cookie mixture. It contains raw egg and raw flour, which can carry harmful bacteria. Use eggs with the British Lion mark, wash your hands after handling raw egg, and bake it fully.

Hot oven: use oven gloves, open the door away from your face, and put the tin on a heatproof surface. Don't leave the oven unattended, because chocolate bakes go from perfect to dry quickly, and every oven is a little different, so check early.

Keeping: store baked treats in an airtight tin at room temperature for about 3 to 4 days (general guidance), or freeze them wrapped for up to about a month. Anything with a cream cheese or cream filling belongs in the fridge.

Raw batter: don't eat raw brownie, cake or cookie mixture. It contains raw egg and raw flour, which can carry harmful bacteria. Use eggs with the British Lion mark, wash your hands after handling raw egg, and bake it fully.

Hot oven: use oven gloves, open the door away from your face, and put the tin on a heatproof surface. Don't leave the oven unattended, because chocolate bakes go from perfect to dry quickly, and every oven is a little different, so check early.

Tins: grease and line the tin with baking parchment so the cake lifts out whole. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then on a wire rack, and never glaze or fill a warm cake.

Buttercream: beat softened butter first until pale, then add the icing sugar a little at a time (sifted, or it flies everywhere). Add milk a spoonful at a time. It keeps in the fridge for about a week, and should be brought to room temperature and re-beaten before use.

Keeping: anything made with cream (ganache, bonbon fillings) should be kept covered in the fridge and used within about 5 days (general guidance). Bring it to cool room temperature 15 minutes before serving, and don't leave cream-based sweets out for more than a couple of hours.

Whisking whites: the bowl and whisk must be spotlessly clean and dry, with no trace of yolk or grease. Whisk to soft peaks (the tips flop over), not stiff, and fold in thirds. The whites are baked fully, so there is no raw egg in the finished cake.

Hot oven: use oven gloves, open the door away from your face, and put the tin on a heatproof surface. Don't leave the oven unattended, because chocolate bakes go from perfect to dry quickly, and every oven is a little different, so check early.

Rolling the roulade: the sponge cracks a little when rolled, and that is expected. Roll it while warm in a sheet of parchment, cool it rolled, then unroll gently, fill and roll again. A dusting of icing sugar hides cracks.

Chilled desserts: keep mousses, creams and pots covered in the fridge and eat them within about 2 days (general guidance). Take them out 10 to 15 minutes before serving so the flavour comes through. Don't leave them out for more than a couple of hours.